Chapter 187: A Mountain Suspended, A River Submerged (1)
When Yan Shixun left, the small courtyard still carried the crisp, fresh scent of winter air mixed with the clean fragrance of soap.
But now, as the courtyard gate creaked open, what came rushing out with the light was the strong, acrid smell of burning.
Yan Shixun stood silently for a moment. From a distance, he looked toward the doorway of the house where Ye Li stood and asked, “Are you burning the house down?”
Zhang Wubing and Jing Xiaobao nodded furiously, looking as if they completely agreed with what Yan Shixun had said.
Ye Li’s expression remained unchanged, as if he couldn’t even see their reactions. He simply smiled calmly and stepped out of the room with long strides. With a natural motion, he raised his hand and helped Yan Shixun remove the scarf draped over his shoulders.
“You said you’d be back late tonight, so I thought I’d try out the modern kitchen appliances.”
Ye Li explained earnestly. “The development of the human world is really impressive—I couldn’t even tell what some of those things were used for.”
Zhang Wubing trembled all over and exclaimed in horror, “Still, you can’t just turn on the gas and dry roast a fish! And you can’t just pour water directly into a rice cooker!”
Even someone like him, who had never cooked before, knew these were basic common-sense rules! *Common sense!*
Ye Li shot him a cool glance.
Zhang Wubing immediately shut his mouth and shrank behind Yan Shixun’s coat.
“So…”
Yan Shixun raised an eyebrow. Judging from everyone’s reaction, he more or less guessed what had happened. “You blew up the kitchen?”
Ye Li didn’t deny it. “It was my first time using a modern kitchen. I wasn’t very skilled.”
He thought for a moment, then seemed to realize that this might make him seem less capable in front of the exorcist he adored. So he added, “With a few more tries, I’ll get the hang of it. Don’t worry.”
Jing Xiaobao looked like he was about to cry. “Huh? You’re going to *keep* practicing?”
He was seriously considering running away from home. He had a feeling this man was holding a grudge about his past mischief and was now trying to kill a ghost in retaliation. *Waaah.*
Ye Li was well aware of his own shortcomings when it came to cooking. After all, he hadn’t needed food in over a thousand years and hadn’t cooked anything since his days as a soldier. His culinary skills were stuck in the military-era techniques of long ago.
—Which, by modern standards, amounted to little more than survival skills in the wild, not exactly suitable for urban life.
All this time, it had been Yan Shixun doing the cooking.
After Li Chengyun left, Yan Shixun had been living alone, and cooking became a necessary skill. It wasn’t anything fancy, but at least it was enough to fill his stomach.
Ye Li had felt a twinge of heartache seeing this and wanted to improve Yan Shixun’s meals. But he also worried that if Yan Shixun saw that he wasn’t good at something, it might damage his image in his eyes. So he had never found the right opportunity to try.
—Because in front of the exorcist he loved, Ye Li still wanted to appear competent and reliable.
So today, when he heard that Yan Shixun would be back late and wouldn’t be home for dinner, Ye Li was moved. He saw it as the perfect chance to practice.
And so, Zhang Wubing and Jing Xiaobao ended up suffering for it.
Originally, Jing Xiaobao saw that Yan Shixun had left, and Ye Li was busy in the kitchen doing who-knows-what. With no one watching him, his mind began to wander again. He couldn’t sit still and summoned ghostly energy, inviting nearby fierce spirits to come play ball with him.
As for studying? *No way.*
Jing Xiaobao pouted his soft lips, looking both unwilling and mischievous.
Because the courtyard had only ever housed two people at most, the space felt relatively open—not cramped like the densely packed Binhai City, where every square foot counted. There were even some spare rooms.
Li Chengyun had a fondness for wandering and would often dig through stalls and old book chests in people’s homes, collecting rare or out-of-print books that had long disappeared from the market. He brought them all back with him.
Reclusive scholars who heard about Li Chengyun’s love for collecting books were often willing to gift him treasured volumes when he visited, or would generously let him copy the texts by hand.
Over the years, Li Chengyun had amassed so many books that he had to set up a dedicated study just to store them all.
Since Jing Xiaobao had died at such a young age, Yan Shixun thought it was still necessary to teach him how to read. Otherwise, it wouldn’t look good if Mr. Lin Ting’s child turned out to be illiterate.
Besides, Yan Shixun also hoped the upright values contained in the classics could help guide the fierce ghost child toward humanity—teaching him right from wrong, good from evil—so that he wouldn’t grow up disregarding life.
But of course, only humans were entitled to mandatory education. No one had ever heard of a preschool for fierce ghosts, so the task of teaching Jing Xiaobao fell to Yan Shixun alone. It had to be home-schooling.
When Yan Shixun led Jing Xiaobao into the study and pushed open the door, the little ghost was completely stunned. The ball he was holding dropped to the floor with a *plop*.
—The study before his eyes looked strangely familiar, almost identical to the one that once belonged to Lin Ting back at the Jing Estate.
Tall bookshelves reached all the way to the ceiling, filled with ancient volumes. In the sunbeams, dust motes floated like little fairies, and the books stood there silently, as if holding millennia of wisdom, waiting patiently for someone to come and explore them.
Jing Xiaobao craned his neck so far back that it started to ache. His tiny ghostly body almost tipped over backward.
The most terrifying part? Yan Shixun had actually pointed at those shelves and told him these were the books he would be learning from in the future—starting with *The Three-Character Classic*.
Jing Xiaobao: ???
“Yan Yan, don’t just pick on me. Have you even finished reading everything?” The child puffed out his soft cheeks and retorted defiantly.
But Yan Shixun simply lowered his gaze calmly. “I also have the Evil Spirit Bone Transformation.”
Then he leaned lazily against the side of the bookshelf with one hand in his pocket, casually pointing at the packed study with the other. “You can pick any book and test me, I don’t mind. But Jing Xiaobao—”
Yan Shixun scoffed. “Do you even know how to read?”
Jing Xiaobao: !!!
I think *you’re* the real fierce ghost!! The scariest kind!!
When Yan Shixun dragged Jing Xiaobao out of the study back then, the boy’s round eyes were shimmering with tears. He sobbed like a pitiful bunny plush toy, even his silly hair tuft drooped lifelessly.
From that moment on, the quiet, ancient smell of books became more terrifying than the stench of blood in hell to Jing Xiaobao. Whenever he smelled old ink and paper, he instinctively recalled Yan Shixun’s ridicule, and fear took hold of his heart.
The vast sea of books made Jing Xiaobao realize that even if he memorized the *Three Character Classic* today, the torment wouldn’t end. There would just be another book… and another…
The faster he recited, the more suffering he endured.
Since that was the case, he figured he might as well go slow! If he slacked off whenever he had the chance, Yan Yan wouldn’t be able to squeeze him so hard~
Jing Xiaobao: I’m so clever, hehe OvO~
But Jing Xiaobao forgot about Zhang Wubing.
Zhang Wubing’s loyalty to Brother Yan was as clear as day and night. Whatever Brother Yan said was gospel to him.
He had been curled up next to the heater in the living room, wrapped in a blanket, drowsily discussing the show’s schedule on the phone with the assistant director. In a sleepy haze, he vaguely heard laughter coming from the yard outside—along with the rhythmic *thump thump* of a child bouncing a ball.
That immediately jolted Zhang Wubing wide awake.
The assistant director was confused as to why Zhang Wubing had suddenly stopped replying with his usual distracted “uh-huhs” when Zhang’s shaky voice declared there was a ghost.
The assistant director replied: “…………Director, if even Mr. Yan’s house has ghosts, you’d better burn incense, take a purifying bath, and change into something nice.”
Zhang Wubing: “? That can drive away ghosts?”
The assistant director answered sincerely: “No, but it’ll at least make you look dignified when you die.”
Zhang Wubing: “…………”
Still, the assistant director’s comment reminded the drowsy Zhang Wubing of something important.
Right! This was Brother Yan’s house. If *this* place had ghosts, then wasn’t everything doomed? He wouldn’t even have anyone left to turn to.
Thinking that, Zhang Wubing immediately came to his senses.
Jing Xiaobao!
When Zhang Wubing stormed out of the house, he locked eyes with a whole courtyard full of evil ghosts.
Upon hearing the sound of the door and sensing the presence of a living person, the ghosts all turned their heads toward him in unison.
Zhang Wubing swallowed hard, his scalp tingling.
The evil ghosts also looked terrified.
Aaaah! It’s the sidekick of the Evil Spirit Bone Transformation! So scary!
For a moment, the scene was locked in a dead standoff.
Only Jing Xiaobao kept happily bouncing his ball, the *thump! thump!* echoing rhythmically.
The sound reminded Zhang Wubing why he had come outside. He realized these ghosts must have been summoned by Jing Xiaobao to play with him.
These were top-tier fierce ghosts—released into the world, they could stir up chaos and give temples and Taoist temples headaches. And now, here they were, packed into a little courtyard like cabbages, unwilling yet afraid to flee, forced to accompany a child in playing ball.
—Occasionally, they even had to sacrifice their heads to be used as the ball.
It was enough to make anyone cry.
Jing Xiaobao’s cheeks were flushed from play. When he saw Zhang Wubing looking like he was about to faint, he mischievously lifted the skeletal arm of a nearby ghost and waved it at him.
“Da Bing, you’re out~ Wanna play with the ghosts? Let’s see who has the longest intestines, okay? Heehee~”
Zhang Wubing roared, “Jing! Xiao! Bao!!! Didn’t Brother Yan tell you to study? Why are you playing here? Did you finish reciting? I’ll quiz you now!”
Jing Xiaobao: Ah… Forgot Zhang Dabing was Yan Yan’s leg attachment.
Tsk.
One human and one ghost bickered furiously in the courtyard. Zhang Wubing furrowed his brows, planted his hands on his hips, and fired off verbal bullets at the child who only reached his knees.
The child, unwilling to back down, hugged a skull from who-knows-which fierce ghost and puffed his cheeks in defiance, yelling back with his head tilted up.
Then, both of them were caught red-handed by Ye Li, who came out from the kitchen and hauled them off—one in each hand—to be food tasters.
Recalling what had happened before Yan Shixun came back, Zhang Wubing cried pitifully. “I smelled burning, but I didn’t think much of it! *Waaah*, if I’d known, I would’ve run for my life right away, *waaah*!”
Jing Xiaobao clung to Yan Shixun’s shoulder and sobbed in his arms, gasping for breath. “That wasn’t food tasting—it was poison testing! He’s definitely trying to find a way to kill ghosts!”
After hearing their grievances, Yan Shixun silently turned to look at Ye Li.
Ye Li shifted his gaze to the side, uncharacteristically avoiding Yan Shixun’s eyes.
“Mr. Yan, you’re back.”
An old voice called from outside the courtyard.
Yan Shixun turned at the sound and saw the elderly lady from next door, hunched over and leaning on her cane, standing in the alley and looking his way.
Since he had been too busy dealing with the others before even getting through the door, he hadn’t shut it. Their voices, along with the burnt smell from his house, had caught the lady’s attention. Worried that the little one at home might be in trouble, she had come over to check.
After hearing the explanation, Yan Shixun glanced at Ye Li again, his expression unreadable.
Ye Li lifted a slender finger to rub the bridge of his straight nose, unable to come up with an excuse.
“Thank you for your concern, ma’am.”
Yan Shixun bent slightly, lowering himself so the elderly lady wouldn’t have to look up too much to speak with him.
Smiling, he explained, “A friend was practicing cooking, but he’s not very skilled and burned the kitchen. Nothing serious.”
“Oh my! You haven’t had dinner yet at this hour?”
Concern spread across the old lady’s face as she hurriedly said, “Mr. Yan, wait right here. I happened to make a lot of steamed pork this afternoon—I’ll bring some over.”
Yan Shixun tried to decline, but the old lady waved him off with a cheerful laugh. “I live alone now and never measure portions when I cook. My head’s not so clear these days—still thinkin’ my old man’s around. I always make too much, can’t finish it.”
“And besides, Xiao Bao is such a young child—he mustn’t go hungry.”
She looked fondly at the child in Yan Shixun’s arms. “He’s still growing. Eat more, grow tall.”
Hearing her say this, Yan Shixun stopped resisting and simply told her to walk carefully in the dark and not to rush—he’d be waiting here.
After she turned to leave, slowly walking off with her cane, Yan Shixun looked down at the child in his arms.
Jing Xiaobao proudly puffed out his chest. “Xiao Bao earned that meat.”
As he spoke, he even gave a scornful glance down at Zhang Wubing, who was still clinging to Yan Shixun’s leg, and said in a soft but cutting voice, “Da Bing can’t earn anything~”
Zhang Wubing: “!!!”
Yan Shixun: “…?”
He fell into deep thought, somehow feeling like this resembled two kids fighting for their parents’ attention… Was that just his imagination?
Because Yan Shixun said the kitchen had burned, the old lady brought over not only steamed pork but also several dishes—already reheated and laid out with care, delicious and inviting.
As she was about to leave, she reached out her withered, veiny hand and held Jing Xiaobao’s warm little paw, saying gently, “Xiao Bao, thank you for helping Granny before. I’ve been so happy since I saw Grandpa again.”
Jing Xiaobao blushed at the praise, and even his cold, ghostly heart softened.
He didn’t think he had done anything particularly important… Why did Granny seem so grateful? It felt like he didn’t deserve it.
He summoned the spirits of the dead who were lost and confused, allowing the deceased grandfather to reunite with his still-living wife. The elderly couple, who had supported each other through a lifetime, saw one another again, and knowing that the other was doing well, they let go of their worries and longing.
For Jing Xiaobao, it was a simple task.
But for the old woman, it was a lifesaving grace.
Otherwise, she truly might have missed her husband so much that she would have wanted to follow him in death.
Yan Shixun observed Jing Xiaobao’s reaction carefully. Without showing any emotion, he quietly made a decision in his heart.
After bidding farewell to the old woman, Jing Xiaobao couldn’t stop grinning even as he sat at the dining table. His cheeks were flushed red with joy.
Just like the red apple the old woman had gifted him earlier.
Since it was already late, Yan Shixun decided to postpone repairing the kitchen that had been blown up by Ye Li until the next day. Because of that, the meal the old woman had sent arrived at the perfect time—just right to fill the growling stomach of Zhang Wubing.
—After all, Zhang Wubing was the only one who actually needed to eat. Jing Xiaobao had always been indifferent—eating or not didn’t matter much to him. As for Ye Li, he only acted based on Yan Shixun’s cues.
Bathed in the warm, homey aroma of the meal, even Yan Shixun, who hadn’t been hungry at first, decided to have a bit.
So Ye Li followed suit and sat down as well.
Yan Shixun couldn’t help but chuckle. Just as he was about to take off his cold, heavy coat, Lan Ze’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
“He likes you.”
Yan Shixun froze, muscles tensing.
But he quickly regained his composure and casually hung his coat on the rack, acting as if nothing had happened.
Under Ye Li’s watchful gaze, Yan Shixun paused mid-step as he approached the table, then suddenly changed direction and deliberately sat down between Zhang Wubing and Jing Xiaobao.
Jing Xiaobao was still lost in the joy of being praised by the old woman, his soft face full of silly smiles. He didn’t notice anything strange about Yan Shixun. Zhang Wubing had his head buried in his bowl, deeply moved by the delicious pairing of steamed meat and rice—he had no energy to care about what was happening around him.
Only Ye Li’s expression darkened.
Yan Shixun cleared his throat and, feigning calm, pointed at the food in front of Ye Li. “Eat before it gets cold. You burned a hole in the bottom of our pot, so we can’t reheat anything.”
Ye Li frowned. Had something happened at Haiyun Temple? Why did Yan Shixun seem to be avoiding him?
Haiyun Temple housed divine power accumulated over hundreds of years by other deities. Out of respect for the temple—and since both Yan Shixun and Li Chengyun were from there—Ye Li had refrained from observing what had occurred within it.
After all, watching too closely would’ve been like intruding on the domain of the temple’s honored gods.
Ye Li had wanted to show respect for the origins of the exorcist he loved.
But now, as he stared at the clearly unsettled Yan Shixun, suspicion grew. Maybe he should have taken a look back then.
That strange behavior continued all the way into the night, convincing Ye Li that something had definitely happened.
—Or someone had said something to Yan Shixun.
“You’re saying… you want me to move out?”
Ye Li leaned against the doorframe, eyes dark with disbelief.
Yan Shixun nodded steadily. “I originally agreed to let you stay because I thought you were a sect’s founder who’d just emerged from the mountains—poor and unfamiliar with modern life. I was afraid you’d freeze to death under a bridge, so I let you in.”
“But now, knowing that you’re a god, you don’t really need these things, right?”
Yan Shixun continued, “You’re different from humans—you won’t die without food, clothing, or shelter. Besides, you could easily reside in any temple, shrine, or even just inside a statue. So…”
After Zhang Wubing finished eating and lounged around for a while to digest, he reluctantly prepared to say goodbye and head home.
What he hadn’t expected was that Yan Shixun would ask Ye Li to leave too.
Bundled up in a thick down jacket, Zhang Wubing looked like a round ball, yet still felt cold.
He glanced up, trembling, at Ye Li standing beside him at the gate of the courtyard, feeling like he was standing next to a walking refrigerator.
This was terrifying!
Why was it that Brother Yan and this guy were at odds, yet he was the one suffering the consequences?!
Zhang Wubing screamed in his heart.
But clearly, Yan Shixun either didn’t hear him—or heard and didn’t care.
He stood calmly inside the courtyard, staring back at Ye Li outside the gate.
Only Jing Xiaobao, standing cheerfully by Yan Shixun’s leg, was happy. He gleefully waved his little paw at Ye Li.
Bye-bye! And don’t come back!
Ye Li’s face turned dark. Pointing at Jing Xiaobao, he asked Yan Shixun incredulously, “I can’t stay, but that little ghost can?”
That ghost was just a step away from becoming a deity himself—how was he any different from Ye Li?
Why such double standards?
Yan Shixun nodded calmly. “Xiao Bao is still young. And if he’s left on his own, he might accidentally hurt someone.”
Jing Xiaobao nodded his head wildly like a pecking chick. “Mm-hmm! Xiao Bao is just a baby, but he’s super fierce—only Yan Yan can handle me!”
Although he wasn’t happy about Yan Yan making him recite instead of letting him play, seeing someone else wanting something he already had made him feel happy all over again.
Especially since that someone was a person he disliked and feared—well, that just made it even better!
Ye Li’s face had darkened to the point of being unreadable. He lowered his gaze toward Jing Xiaobao, his eyes so cold they looked like they could kill a ghost.
Jing Xiaobao shrank back a step timidly, but he quickly latched onto Yan Shixun’s leg like he’d found a solid backing, and smiled brightly again.
When Ye Li saw that Yan Shixun had clearly made up his mind to drive him away, he suddenly felt a surge of crisis.
He stared steadily at Yan Shixun, and seeing that there was not the slightest hint he would relent, Ye Li pursed his lips, silently making up his mind.
The man who had stood tall and proud just moments ago, like an immovable mountain, suddenly slumped to the side, leaning weakly against the doorframe.
“I can’t walk anymore.”
Ye Li looked directly at Yan Shixun. “I’m injured.”
Yan Shixun: “……”
Yan Shixun: “???”
Could your acting be any worse?!
He looked at Ye Li speechlessly. “I’ve never heard of a god getting injured…”
“It was when I saved you before,” Ye Li replied sincerely, “I got too worked up and used too much force. That’s how I got hurt.”
He emphasized, “I’m very weak now—moving could literally kill me.”
Yan Shixun: “……”
Jing Xiaobao: “……”
His big round eyes stared at Ye Li in disbelief, utterly shocked at how shamelessly he could lie without even blinking, just to stay by Yan Shixun’s side.
Wasn’t he supposed to be some powerful ghost god? What happened to that?
Jing Xiaobao felt like the terrifying image he had of this man in his mind was crumbling fast.
But Ye Li didn’t care about any of that. Compared to being able to stay close to Yan Shixun, everything else was trivial.
As Ye Li stared at Yan Shixun, the latter fell into silent thought.
Yan Shixun had always thought of Ye Li as just another man. After all, he’d lived in university dorms before, so living in the same courtyard with another guy didn’t bother him at all. It wasn’t uncommon to share the same room, even the same bed. What was the big deal?
Back in college, some of his dorm mates even shared one bathroom, and they saw each other every day.
To Yan Shixun, it had all seemed perfectly normal.
But ever since Lan Ze told him that Ye Li liked him, things started to feel… off.
From then on, every interaction with Ye Li felt awkward, like something was constantly poking at him, making him uneasy all over.
It was as if Ye Li—who used to be as invisible as the air—suddenly developed a strong presence, looming around him, invading his space.
Even though he had seen many kinds of romantic feelings in others, Yan Shixun had always been indifferent. He never planned to explore emotions himself. He thought being like Li Chengyun—peaceful and detached—was a pretty good way to live.
That’s why he’d never developed any mindset around romantic relationships.
But Lan Ze’s words had shattered that bubble.
Now Yan Shixun felt like he was in completely unfamiliar territory, lost and overwhelmed to the point that he just wanted to run away. Even being around Ye Li had become uncomfortable.
He thought: if Ye Li stayed farther away from him, this feeling might go away.
Maybe Lan Ze was just mistaken. Lan Ze had Cheng Jing, after all. Maybe that made him project similar feelings onto others. Perhaps Ye Li didn’t actually feel that way at all.
That’s what Yan Shixun told himself, hoping Ye Li would leave the courtyard for a bit so he could calm down, sort through his thoughts, and figure out how he wanted to deal with Ye Li going forward.
He believed his discomfort was only temporary, and once he got his emotions in order, everything would go back to normal.
—But only if Ye Li, the root of all this, wasn’t hovering around him.
What he hadn’t expected was that Ye Li had absolutely no intention of moving out of the courtyard.
And judging by how tightly Ye Li gripped the gate, if Yan Shixun didn’t change his mind, Ye Li looked ready to turn into a tree rooted right at the doorstep.
Yan Shixun looked at Ye Li’s expression—like a cat who’d just been hit on the head—and started to wonder if maybe his reaction had been too extreme.
Between normal friends, if someone misunderstood something like that, wouldn’t they just laugh it off?
As conflicting thoughts wrestled in Yan Shixun’s mind, Ye Li made himself appear even weaker and more pitiful.
—The once-powerful man now looked so sorrowful that, combined with his strikingly handsome face, it was actually hard to bear.
After a long silence, just as Zhang Wubing was about to freeze to death next to the “refrigerator,” Yan Shixun finally gave in with a nod.
But…
“You’re sleeping in the room on the other side.”
Yan Shixun kept a straight face as he pointed to the room furthest from his own. “I have a habit of sleepwalking and killing people in my dreams. I might wake up and have to clean up your corpse.”
In the past, Ye Li would’ve definitely responded with something like, “I’m not afraid of being killed. If you like, you can kill me a few more times.”
—After all, he was the master of death, always standing on the edge between life and death, and completely unafraid of it.
But this time was different. Ye Li could tell that Yan Shixun had taken a step back, so he didn’t push any further. Instead, he went along with it and stepped back into the courtyard, slamming the door behind him with a loud bang!
He wasn’t giving Yan Shixun another chance to throw him out.
Meanwhile, Zhang Wubing, now locked outside alone: “……”
He stood there dumbfounded, staring at the door that had just shut him out, sniffling pitifully in the cold wind as he turned around in his puffy jacket, utterly dejected.
Zhang Wubing: So I’m the only one not worthy of staying in this house, sob QAQ.
…
Ye Li didn’t know what exactly Yan Shixun had gone through at Haiyun Temple, but he didn’t want to pressure him too much.
Cats—especially territorial ones—were always hyper-alert toward any male who might challenge their domain.
The only exception they made was for their mate.
Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, Ye Li’s eyes darkened.
He stared fixedly at the warm glow seeping through the frosted glass door of the bathroom. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and with sheer force of will, he turned away.
Take it slow—he had all the time in the world. He could keep tangling with his beloved ghost exorcist until the end of time itself, as long as there were no other rivals pursuing Shixun… he could wait patiently.
A wave of sticky sweet apple candy scent drifted from nearby.
Ye Li walked over, each step landing softly, and came to a stop beside the coat rack.
The cheap apple candy carried the artificial taste of synthetic saccharin, but to Ye Li, it was the only sweetness he had tasted in thousands of years.
Yet even that sweetness paled in comparison to the one who had given him the candy… the one who shook him to his very soul.
Ye Li quietly lowered his raven-feather-like eyelashes, looking toward the direction of that sweet fragrance—it came from the pocket of Yan Shixun’s coat.
Before the sound of water stopped in the bathroom, Ye Li reached out his hand and calmly took the candy from the coat pocket.
The cheap, factory-made candy sat round and plump in Ye Li’s long and beautiful palm. He gazed at it for a moment, and a faint smile flickered in his eyes.
Shixun…
Ye Li gently rolled the name of his beloved across his lips and teeth, as if even the name carried the tart-sweet aroma of apple candy.
……….
Amid the audience’s anticipation, the production team’s official account finally released the updated itinerary for the show.
Since the original journey to the filming location had encountered danger, the location and guest lineup remained unchanged for the reshoot. Only one female guest had withdrawn due to “health reasons.”
Seeing a guest spot open up, many entertainment companies pounced like hungry wolves, desperate to grab that one remaining place.
The female guest came from a wealthy background and didn’t care about losing her slot—but these companies were a different story!!
There were so many people who could never become “stars” no matter how hard they tried, wasting their youth chasing trends and attention, only to fade out in regret.
If there was even a single chance to be seen, they’d be willing to risk everything!
So what if there might be danger? They didn’t care! Fortune favored the bold. As long as there was even a sliver of a shot at success, many companies and their artists would fight tooth and nail to seize it.
Just look at the guests already on the show—who among them hadn’t seen their fan count double and double again? Who hadn’t climbed the ranks?
Take An Nanyuan, for instance. A boy band idol who debuted through a talent show—sure, his fans thought he was already doing well, but to his company and other entertainment firms, he was just a disposable product.
But everything changed when An Nanyuan insisted on joining this show.
Now, with nearly 80 million followers and nationwide buzz, he had firmly cemented his place as a top-tier celebrity. Even his own agency could no longer push him around at will.
In fact, after meeting Song Ci, the arrogant and temperamental young master of the Song family, on the show, that very same young master had offered both money and manpower to help An Nanyuan break free from his company and set up his own studio!
Even Lu Xingxing’s independent music studio had publicly posted a few days ago, voicing support for An Nanyuan. Lu Xingxing stated that An Nanyuan was like a brother who’d risked his life for him, and he’d back every decision his brother made.
Fans were stunned.
Everyone knew Lu Xingxing had a notoriously bad temper.
Fans and collaborators loved his musical talent but were constantly frustrated by his explosive and blunt personality.
This guy didn’t care about networking or saving face in the industry. If he didn’t like you, he’d call you out on camera, airing every dirty little secret you’d hoped to keep hidden.
Lu Xingxing was the kind of “madman” no one in the entertainment world wanted to mess with.
After all, no one in polished shoes… wanted to go up against someone who’d kick them barefoot!
With Lu Xingxing and Song Ci backing him, and 80 million fans behind him, many entertainment companies now considered An Nanyuan someone they couldn’t touch lightly.
Even variety show celebrity—the comedian who clawed his way up through sketch shows—used to be looked down on by many artists. Directors only invited him to liven things up, but deep down didn’t value him at all. If one left, he figured there were plenty more to replace him.
The variety show celebrity endured countless humiliations in the industry—getting paid and doing his job, no matter how hard it was, all while suffering scorn and ridicule from the top stars. Even when he got injured on set, he could only smile through the pain.
But now, thanks to this program, the once-overlooked variety show celebrity had become widely recognized—a comedy star who couldn’t be replaced.
Many people would burst out laughing at just the mention of his name, wondering how this guy had somehow aligned perfectly with their sense of humor.
His appearance fees skyrocketed. Even before Heart-Pounding Journey of Ninety-Nine Days finished airing, other variety shows were flooding him with offers like falling snow. The same producers who once looked down on him were now sincerely inviting him to appear on their shows—and were even offering higher pay.
This made the variety show celebrity reflect on how people really did have two faces. At the same time, he felt even more grateful to Yan Shixun and Zhang Wubing.
Entertainment companies noticed all of this, so when the spot vacated by the female guest became available, they scrambled for it like wild animals, pulling every string they could several days in advance. They bought PR articles and used marketing accounts to push headlines like: “XX says Heart-Pounding Journey is their favorite show and wants to join!”, “Netizens vote: XX is a perfect match for the show!”, or “XX is the ideal star for Heart-Pounding Journey!”
But viewers of the show were completely confused: Netizen vote? Why didn’t I know about it? Who voted on my behalf?
Just when the entertainment companies were fighting tooth and nail, Zhang Wubing appeared on the preliminary livestream with a blank look and said, “We’re not adding anyone. Who told you that?”
He scratched his head, looking like his brain couldn’t quite process the situation. “Didn’t we get in a car accident last time on the highway? This time, the destination’s still the same—Longevity Village. Naturally, the guest list stays the same. We’re not adding anyone. Even if the female guest drops out, we won’t be replacing her.”
—He didn’t want to add anyone! Every time he negotiated with those entertainment companies about potential cast members, he felt like he was being skinned alive. It was exhausting and terrifying.
After living more than twenty years and finally standing on his own as a director, Zhang Wubing suddenly realized—maybe he actually had social anxiety! People out there were terrifying. QAQ
After their initial shock, the audience watching the stream exploded with laughter.
“Those companies are tearing each other apart, and Director Zhang is just vibing in peace.”
“Director Zhang: Add someone? How come I didn’t get the memo?”
People at the entertainment companies were red in the face, but all they could do was complain indirectly through marketing accounts—accusing the program team of being disrespectful, wasting people’s time, and messing up their stars’ schedules.
But in front of Zhang Wubing himself, no one dared say anything too harsh.
Even though Zhang Wubing didn’t realize it himself—and still acted like that timid little tag-along—in other people’s eyes, the runaway success of this variety show had already propelled him into the ranks of top-tier variety show directors. He was no longer someone you could push around easily.
—And unbeknownst to Zhang Wubing himself, all of this happened because of Yan Shixun. Thanks to him, Zhang Wubing had taken a small but real step toward his dream.
“This time, we’ll be filming in Longevity Village.”
Facing the livestream camera, Zhang Wubing beamed like a happy puppy.
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